My hair has had a 29-year-long identity crisis—what started as stick straight, silky strands as a child became natural beachy waves in my teens, then back to straight hair in my early twenties. Now, in my late twenties, I have undefined, semi-wavy, frizzy hair, and my confused strands lack definition and shine. If I’m not embracing the au naturale look, the only things that have really gotten me the definition I’m looking for in my waves are a hair dryer, straightener, or curling iron—till I tried rëzo’s Curl Define Hair Gel (rezohaircare, $36).

Founded by Colombian-born, New York-based master hair stylist and curl specialist Nubia RËZO, the plant-based, silicone-free brand is all about celebrating textured hair and reigniting the world’s love for curly. But Nubia isn’t just building a hair brand. For her, it’s so much more than that. “It’s an incredible time to be alive and thriving in a Hispanic, women-owned brand!” she says. “My life’s purpose and passion is to uplift and empower one another.”

Here’s why I love this hair gel:

It doesn’t make my hair hard or crunchy.

I’ve tried hair gels and waxes before, and they’re either so gentle that they’re ineffective or they make my hair super hard and crispy. As someone with frizzy hair, the last thing I want is for a product to freeze my frizz in place.

Infused with castor and olive oil, it makes my hair far less frizzy and it feels so soft that I honestly can’t stop touching it till my next wash day. In fact, this has such a great texture that I can even put a pea-sized amount on my dry hair if I want to touch-up my look in between washes.

It gives my strands definition.

Using this gel doesn’t quite give my hair the same appearance it does when I curl it, but I love the way it gives my strands some uniformity. Whereas I naturally have random strands of hair that range from straight to shapeless and kind of curly, using this makes my hair look naturally wavy with every wave having the same shape for the most part.

It’s easy to use.

I simply wait for my hair to be about half dry and then I put half a pump of this in to my hair (I even skip my usual leave-in conditioner, because this makes my hair so soft!). I’ll then twirl one-inch pieces of hair around my fingers to get the shape of a wave. Once my hair air dries, I very gently run my fingers through for a more natural look.

For anyone with textured, wavy, or curly hair, trying rëzo’s range of haircare products is a must. For the full experience, I highly recommend getting the full shampoo, conditioner, and gel set. And, if you ever find yourself in New York City—or within driving/public transport distance, visiting Nubia’s Manhattan-based salon for a signature rëzoCut is a must—if you’re anything like me, you’ll totally get hooked.

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